When I check the Sepia Sat post Im always hoping for a theme I can match and do something that relates well. Im fairly new to collecting old photos. Ive always saved my own and family mementos, but nothing else really. My actual new hobby/love of old photos of people I never knew is recent, about a year old.

I found this photo album for sale on a lesser known site, and ended up purchasing it, LOVED IT!

Wrote the seller who had another up for sale and asked if they were related, he said they were and he has one more he was not going to list. Well this tore my heart out. I hate when collections get split up, scattered, photos taken out and put up for individual sale. The story of the past is ripped apart. Well after some back and forth emails he offered me everything, even some cabinet cards that were related.

What made it even more intriguing was when I asked where these came from? Were they his? He said No, but they belonged to his neighbor, who gave them to him and said to keep them and sell them for lots of money when he died, and that he DID NOT want them going to his kids.

I found that odd, but as I said intriguing. There were no names listed where these were for sale to identify who they once belonged to.

Well when I got them, the name was inserted in the front and I know who this gentleman of these albums was, these are his younger years. I wonder are they pre married life as I have a couple albums that are similar. Their good times albums and women or a love interest of their youth that perhaps didnt pan out? Maybe his wife or kids never knew and these were hidden away?

Ive not been too sure what I want to do with these yet so they will still remain anonymous, but this is the first preview of photos from the many albums I have. I peeked through the albums tonight hoping to find something to follow the ocean, beach theme, and this fella had exactly what I needed. Thank you Colonel (he was identified in one album as Colonel, so we will call him that). The albums are labeled as Michigan, so these could be on the beach there.

Im still not too good at dating photos so comments are welcome to help out.

This first photo is a young woman/girl in her swimming attire, amazed at how much clothing one wore to the beach back then! I Love the stockings!

Next we have a gentleman in a suit and hat with a wonderful striped umbrella. Makes you wonder what colors it was, how much different these photos would look in color.

It appears he plunked the umbrella down and the Colonel and his Girl have a shot in front of it.

This group shot is great! Everyone looks so dressed up for sitting on the beach. We all know how beautiful the ocean is, but we also know how sandy it is. And werent they hot? With all those layers? Perhaps the weather was a slight breeze that day and just right? They look ready to camp out there for awhile.

This last photo is sort of the odd man out. Its in the album and contained in the pages with all of the others, but it is a larger photo and just different. Is this some random woman they snapped a photo of? Its a little distant but I believe she is holding a pair of flippers and not sure what else is around her, from a distance looks like a woman draped in seaweed, but I dont think so, she reminds me of a Mermaid? :) But it looks like something is attached around her waist.

I do wonder will our beach photos look strange in the future? Everyone barely clothed? Will styles change that much? I dont think so… but the beach is one of these places I find therapeutic, and gritty, nice to stroll on, but a pain to dust it all off and vacuum out of your car. I cant imagine how much sand these people had tucked in every nook and cranny of their pant legs, shoes, boots and socks!

P.S. I came home today and had left these in my office, well the room smells like a smoker was here. Cigg smoke…. another thing that can endure with the years if photos are cooped up.

Wonderful photos and I am thrilled you were able to “rescue” them..the stripes on the umbrella match the stripes on the first girl’s swim suit! Such stories they could tell if they could speak out loud to us. It is interesting that the old man did not want his kids to get them, perhaps he knew they would toss them. I find it fascinating to look at these and any old photos but have so many unknowns from recent acquisition from my aunt in 2009 and now my uncle that I can’t imagine buying anyone elses. Still it is sad to see them up for sale…I understand from a decorator friend that people buy these to display in their homes too, which also is sad to me that they have none of their own….but here on Sepia there is a place for them…

The woman draped in seaweed doesn’t look like she’s in Michigan. Never saw sea weed like that on Lake Michigan. Perhaps the people with all the clothes on were having a spring picnic and it was cool. I hope so!

I find the story of how you obtained these photo albums really interesting – and so sad that the owner of them didn’t want his children to have them. One’s thoughts could go wild with scenarios about the reason(s) why. The young woman in the first photo is adorable, but I hope she wasn’t going to try to swim in that outfit but maybe instead just dip her toes in the water….

I am so glad these photos ended up with you and that you inquired if the second batch was related to the first. I can hardly imagine why someone wouldn’t want these photos to be passed on through the family, but I suppose there are many reasons. In any case, we are very fortunate to be able to see them. Thanks!